The University of Miami Senate voted for their Speaker Pro Tempore for the 2026-2027 school year, with Rafael Gonzalez-Acosta winning the election held on Wednesday, March 25.
The Speaker Pro Tempore is the second-in-command of the Senate, and works closely with the Speaker. Trinity Vodovoz was recently elected to be the next Senate Speaker.
As Gonzalez-Acosta prepares to step into his new role, he is reflecting on the goals he hopes to achieve.
“My biggest goal for Senate is to create better connections with constituencies and administration,” said Gonzalez-Acosta. “The First Year Senators can have forums with freshmen for example, and have space to actually talk with their constituents.”
Gonzalez-Acosta joined the Senate during the first semester of his freshman year. He is a current junior and has served as a College of Engineering Senator for the past three years.
In this role, Gonzalez-Acosta worked to widen engineering software access beyond UM Wi-Fi.
“I worked with IT to make a virtual machine where you can access the software off campus so commuter students don’t have to stay here until midnight finishing assignments,” Gonzalez-Acosta said.
He also served as the Faculty Senate Liaison where he worked with administration members and relayed information back to Student Senate.
During his time on Senate, Gonzalez-Acosta has pushed to improve grade transparency for students alongside fellow Senators.
“We want professors to be posting grades on time and for students to have access to the grading scale on the syllabus before registering for classes,” Gonzalez-Acosta said.
His years of experience and collaboration with fellow Senators prepared Gonzalez-Acosta to run for Speaker Pro Tempore.
“I was inspired by the Senators that came before me,” Gonzalez-Acosta said. “My big in Senate was the Speaker Pro Tempore during my freshman year, so it’s like I am standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Gonzalez-Acosta was one of four candidates in the Speaker Pro Tempore election. He ran against his fellow Co-Chair of Academic Affairs, as well as the two Chairs of University Affairs, making for a competitive race. They each gave a three minute speech, with an additional 90 seconds for questions.
A specific issue that Gonzalez-Acosta would like to further address in Senate is the career services department at UM. He wants to improve resume reviews and career fairs for all students.
“Miami is an industry hub. The industries should be coming to campus,” said Gonzalez-Acosta.
As a student leader, Gonzalez-Acosta hopes to leave a legacy in Senate by setting an example for future Senators and creating a tight-knit community.
“The Speaker and I want to leave Senate better than we found it, and build a long-lasting relationship between students and administration,” said Gonzalez-Acosta.
$67,500 is at stake in the The University of Miami Herbert Business Schools’ annual Business Plan Competition. For 24 years, this experience has been a chance for students to gain real advice and mentorship, and pitch their business idea to a panel of experienced judges.
Dr. Susan Amat, an associate professor of professional practice in the Department of Management at the Herbert Business School, has been running the business plan competition with two of her colleagues for the past five years. She also participated in the competition while she was at UM completing her MBA. They host two competitions a year, beginning in the fall with the elevator pitch competition and then the business plan competition in the spring.
“Every Wednesday, we have a workshop for the next six weeks, starting on Wednesday [March 18], where we help entrepreneurs, especially those who aren’t in the business school, understand different parts of the business plan,” Amat said.
Any student can participate in the competition, whether they are a business student or not. Some students have already developed a company and others have just started their business.
Students have access to mentors, pitchlabs and workshops. Applications are due on April 3 and are evaluated, then about 20 to 30 students will progress to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, entrepreneurs will present and answer questions to a panel of judges, with six to eight groups progressing to the final round. The final round is scheduled to be held in the Storer auditorium where family, friends, faculty and students can come to cheer.
Amat highlights the importance of the competition as a great opportunity, even if you don’t win prize money. Overall, it is a great experience that builds your company and skills.
“We’ve had so many companies not win the top prize, but get 100 downloads during the competition, find investors, and find customers,” Dr. Amat said. “Because you put yourself out there and you’re making a sales pitch for finding great people to get involved, invest in you, buy your product, etc.”
Kyle Levy was one of these students who participated in the business competition. In his first year at UM, he first came up with his business idea, Unihop. Levy was first inspired when he noticed how uncoordinated the UPS store was on campus.
“We offered an alternative solution, where people could send packages to us, and then they could schedule a time, and we would hand deliver it to them at any of the buildings. And people loved it, especially at the start of each semester,” Levy said.
Unihop has since evolved to be a successful company that provides faster and more efficient deliveries, and works with many businesses that rely on local deliveries.
In terms of being successful in the competition, Dr. Amat said that the most important step to developing your company is to really hone in on what the consumer problem is, and then work from there.
“The reality is entrepreneurship is about solving a customer problem for profit. And so I would say that the key to doing well in life, in entrepreneurship, but definitely for our competition, is focusing on who’s your customer and what problem are you solving from them,” Dr. Amat said.
While starting up his business, Levy said that he participated in the competition partially because he had a good relationship with Dr. Amat who encouraged him to take part, but also because he wanted to take advantage of the great resources that the business school provides.
“I had known about the competition before coming to UM, and I knew that was the big thing to do in the business school,” Levy said.
Dr. Amat emphasized the importance of utilizing all the resources available while you are still in college. The Miami Herbert business schools ranking has gone up throughout the years with the entrepreneurship program ranked No.16 nationally.
“There are many, many tools and competitions like this that are merit-based that if you’re putting the time in and you can show that you are ready to lead something to the next level, there’s support there for you,” Dr. Amat said.“So I think that that’s a really incredibly lucky evolution of the school.”
Throughout the process, Levy said that he developed many crucial skills for developing his now successful company. He says that personal resiliency was one of the main skills that he got out of the experience. Levy says that when managing a business there are never any easy days, and being in the competition taught him to be resilient and put in the most effort he can.
Dr. Amat said that, throughout the years she has been a part of the competition, it has evolved and improved. When Levy was doing this competition it didn’t include the multitude of resources that are available to students now, such as the pitch labs and workshops. However Dr. Amat says that when she returned to the program 5 years ago she had bigger plans for the business plan competition.
“When I came back, I had a very focused goal of making sure we prepared students with an international mindset and with the best practices of high-growth entrepreneurs,” Dr. Amat states. “Every year we’ve ended up getting stronger and stronger student teams and existing businesses competing.”
The University of Miami is frequently described as “resort-looking.” Palm trees line walkways, Lake Osceola reflects the sun and landscaping crews maintain the polished appearance that defines campus. To the average student walking to class, the campus looks clean.
But beneath the surface, a different story is unfolding.
Lauren Novorska, a UM senior double majoring in ecosystem science and policy and anthropology, has spent the past year studying the soil beneath students’ feet. Her research has uncovered thousands of pieces of macro and microplastics embedded across multiple campus locations.
“I’ve been seeing things like fertilizer beads, Styrofoam, confetti, glitter, pieces of fabric — like dryer lint and clothing threads and strings — popping up again and again,” Novorska said. “So clearly, there’s an issue here.”
During the 2024 fall semester, Novorska was working on a class project when she read a paper about filtering plastic out of soil.
Because plastic is hydrophobic, it rises when mixed with oil. This allows researchers to isolate and count the macro and microplastics.
She did not expect much to result from this project, but tried it anyway.
“I honestly didn’t expect it to work,” Novorska said. “But when I tried it, I was astonished by the amount of plastic that came out of the soil.”
One test sample, collected near the Watsco Center on campus, contained 384 pieces of plastic in a single 16-ounce jar. The Watsco Center is used throughout the year by UM athletics, but it is also a venue for dozens of graduation ceremonies, including UM and other schools in the area. At these events, it is common for confetti cannons to be popped for photos, potentially leaving behind hundreds of pieces of plastic.
“That’s when I realized something was actually wrong,” she said. “I thought campus was very clean.”
The results turned a small class project into a full-scale undergraduate thesis. Over the next year, Novorska collected 30 soil samples from locations at UM and 30 more at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Samples were collected from “hot spots” on campus. Locations included outside the food court, near residence halls and around campus landmarks. Every sample from UM contained plastic, with the lowest having two pieces. At St. Petersburg college 13 samples had no plastic.
“In one jar I found more than a thousand pieces,” she said. “Several others had 700 or 800.”
As her research expanded, Novorska began mapping her findings. She found that microplastics are not randomly distributed — that they accumulate in specific areas tied to student behavior.
Outside of the food court, she found a high concentration of wrappers likely carried by the wind. Near the U statue — a popular spot for graduation photo shoots — she found layers of confetti embedded in the soil.
“Over at the U statue, I did a sample a couple of weeks ago that had 396 pieces of plastic, and more than 100 pieces of confetti in it,” she said. “I kept digging and digging, and I never stopped seeing confetti as I was digging, which is very concerning.”
The findings revealed a disconnect between how clean campus appears versus what actually exists in the soil.
Visible litter, known as macroplastics — which are larger than 5mm, is relatively limited on campus Novorska said. The real issue is the microplastics — pieces smaller than 5mm.
“You can’t see them when you’re just walking by, but once you start looking for them, they’re everywhere,” she said, pointing out a piece of plastic just outside the window near Shalala.
Blending her anthropology background with environmental science, Novorska approached her research like an archaeological study — using plastic as a lens to understand human behavior.
“I’m looking at these 10 sites to see what the plastic in the soil itself tells us about the students on campus,” she said. “What does it tell us about our use of different goods and potentially even the production of plastics?”
One of the most common pollutants she identified was small green beads. Initially, neither Novorska nor campus experts could identify them.
Eventually, she traced them back to fertilizer — specifically polymer-coated fertilizer beads commonly used in potted plants brought onto campus.
A majority of the microplastics she found originated from these beads, rather than from campus landscaping practices. Other materials — including confetti, Styrofoam and synthetic fibers — reflected everyday student activities.
Her research also revealed geographic differences. While every UM sample contained some sort of plastic, a few samples from St. Petersburg College contained little to none. Novorska suspects the difference may be due to variations in maintenance practices, landscaping materials or campus culture.
At UM, visible litter is often quickly removed, but less noticeable microplastics are left behind.
“Our landscaping and maintenance staff do a great job of keeping campus looking clean, but you can’t clean up what you can’t see,” Novorska said.
Plastic doesn’t just stay where it lands. Rain washes debris from sidewalks into the soil, then into Lake Osceola and eventually into Biscayne Bay.
“This isn’t just a UM issue,” she said. “It’s a Miami issue, a Florida issue — and honestly, a global issue.”
Her findings also highlight plastic’s persistence. In one sample near Mahoney-Pearson Residential College, she discovered a candy wrapper from more than a decade ago still intact.
“It was sitting in the top layer of soil, and I could still read everything on it,” she said. “It makes you think — what will people find that we leave behind?”
For Novorska, the research has fundamentally changed how she views campus and cleanliness itself. Her work has also shifted her personal habits and sparked a broader mission: changing student behavior.
By combining research, education and policy change, Novorska hopes to help reduce plastic pollution on campus.
She is working with campus organizations to develop an educational campaign that frames microplastics in ways that resonate with different students, from public health concerns to environmental impacts and policy implications.
One initiative focuses on replacing plastic confetti with paper alternatives during graduation season.
“You’re celebrating your future while actively harming it,” she said. “And the pollution you leave behind won’t affect you — it will affect the students who come after you.”
Novorska plans to continue her work in graduate school, pursuing a masters degree in water science, policy and management.
While the scale of microplastic pollution can feel overwhelming, she remains optimistic.
“There is still hope,” she said. “There are actions we can take — as individuals and as a community — to reduce our reliance on plastic.”
April Fools’ is the only time of the year when you are ethically allowed to psychologically torture your friends. You can use nearly any conversation throughout the day to break their reality for a couple of glorious seconds. So much potential, so little time.
Canes care for Canes, so here are some April Fools’ pranks you can use to keep your friends on their toes.
Sebastian the Ibis and Gigi are breaking up
Gigi’s had enough of losing March Madness. She’s leaving and taking her Smoothie King flavor and Diamonds Direct sponsorship with her. Cue the AI-generated images of her at Regatta and Sebastian crying alone in the Watsco Center.
Convincing your friends that the University’s mascot power couple couldn’t make it like Alix Earle and Baxton Barrios will send a shiver down their Hinge account’s spine. The prank is just as heartbreaking as it is bizarre.
When you tell them it’s a joke, it’ll help them see that they care about anthropomorphic animal couples more than they thought.
Bill Cosford Cinema is turning into a pilates studio
Forget the popcorn and pick up those circle weights. The Bill Cosford Cinema, home to free movie screenings throughout the academic year, is turning into your friends’ dream — or worst nightmare.
You can just see it: the room full of pilates boards with the instructor dressed in Alo Yoga clothes on the stage. Say the pilates classes are the same price as a three credit course and it’s still believable.
Go as far as to give them a date for the first class and tell them Mario Cristobal will be a special guest.
Helpful tip: the more specific you get with your April Fools’ pranks, the easier it is to believe.
Starbucks, the Archivist and Vicky’s closed for finals week as part of “caffeine free finals”
As the caffeine epidemic continues across the country, especially among college kids, the University of Miami is testing a new concept called “caffeine free finals.” With the school year coming to an end, finals are looming, and what is needed is not caffeine for pulling all-nighters or giving an energy boost for studying.
The psychology department at UM has run several experiments testing how students perform with and without the help of caffeine.
With an overwhelming amount of students acing tests without caffeine, UM has decided to ban all major coffee spots on campus in hopes that average final scores will rise.
Part of Herbert Wellness Center shut down to build duck sanctuary
The ducks on campus are multiplying by the minute. At this rate, there may be more ducks at UM than students. Because of this alarming issue, part of the Wellness Center is being demolished to build forever homes for the ducks.
Those baby chicks you saw and took pictures of all cuddled up and cozy? They are homeless and are in need of a nice roof over their heads. Say goodbye to those exercise classes and say hello to the new feathery weights for the gym.
Hopefully Sebastian does not get mad at his new, cuter competition.
Editor’s Note: This is a fake, parody article. None of the information or people in the article are true or real.
This article is part of The Miami Hurricane’s April Fools Edition, and was written to remind our readers how easily misinformation can spread and how important it is to question what you’re reading.
Students walking to the Wednesday market on April 1 were met with a shocking sight: The familiar smell of Hibachi bowls and fresh produce had been replaced by an unmistakable cloud of grilled meat and the buzzing of Nutribullet Pro 900s.
The Wednesday Market has officially been replaced by Gainsday Market, a new protein‑obsessed pop‑up market run by two UM fraternities: Pi Kappa Beta and Alpha Zau Chi, who announced the takeover late Tuesday night.
The change affects the long‑standing weekly market that once brought local vendors to campus selling fruit, pastries and handmade goods. Now, the space is filled with high‑protein meals and gym‑rat drinks that look like they were designed by someone who has never tasted sugar.
One of the featured items at Gainsday Market is Pi Beta’s signature dish, the “Ultimate Bulk Bowl,” a meal that looks less like lunch and more like a dare.
The bowl is built with 11 ounces of unseasoned grilled chicken and a scoop of tilapia flakes added “for texture.” There’s also a half hard‑boiled egg chopped into microscopic pieces, quinoa measured to the gram, a drizzle of “liquid protein concentrate” that smells faintly like metal and three almonds placed on top “for aesthetic balance.”
Pi Beta junior and cashier John “Jimbo” Smith said the bowl is “engineered for maximum gains,” though he admitted he hasn’t actually eaten one.
“We calculated the macros down to the decimal,” Smith said. “It’s like 74 grams of protein, zero-sugar and no carbs. But that’s the point. If you’re tasting things, you’re not bulking hard enough.”
Many students who relied on the original Wednesday Market for a midweek treat were stunned by the transformation.
Sophomore business major Tirley Shemple said she felt “personally attacked” when she realized her favorite taco stand had been replaced by a table stacked with vacuum‑sealed chicken breasts.
“I used to come here for birria taco dates with my roommate,” Shemple said. “Now, everything smells like a gym bag. I don’t want to consume 40 grams of protein before noon. I want carbs and joy.”
Pi Beta’s meals are prepared by Gary F. Elld, a 67‑year‑old house cook who says he “found his calling in protein science.” Elld, a former roadside vendor who once ran a stand selling only turkey legs and raw chickpeas, treats Gainsday Market like a personal mission.
“I’ve dedicated my life to helping these boys grow,” Elld said while dusting chicken with creatine. He wakes up at 4 a.m. every Wednesday to prepare the meats, insisting he’s “here to build men, not serve salads.”
Alpha Chi is responsible for the market’s core item: the “Breakfast‑Basic Shake,” a beige, frothy blend.
The shake includes two scoops of whey, instant coffee grounds, half a banana, sugar‑free Monster, three gummy vitamins, a spoonful of warm egg whites, and “one mystery ingredient chosen daily by the brotherhood.”
Clay Brewis, a junior in Alpha Chi who was aggressively promoting the drink to people walking by, insisted it’s “the perfect morning starter.”
“If you don’t like it, your discipline is the problem,” Brewis said.
The UM fraternities’ Gainsday Market will open again on April 8. Check the fraternity’s Instagram every Wednesday morning to see what’s on the menu and how much protein you’ll be getting.
There’s only one place at the University of Miami where you can watch live late night comedy sketches. That place is the School of Communication’s Studio C when the University’s comedy show “Off the Wire” takes center stage every other Thursday night.
“Off the Wire” is a late-night comedy TV show on UMTV, featuring skits that mix creativity, pop culture and current events.
The Hurricane went behind the scenes and into the studio, met the casting crew, and got a feel for what it is like to work both on-air and behind the scenes.
Jada Wilson, the social media manager, said that it’s a space where “everybody can bring their own flair.”
In meetings where they plan the show, ideas come to life, no matter how simple or outrageous they are. Audrey Sears, member of the production team, mentioned that the environment is very creative, the team is open to any ideas and there’s no judgment.
The crew also talked about how UMTV provides opportunities for professional growth. Students get to learn and apply new skills in the media world — from camera work to teleprompters, editing, writing, audio and, of course, acting.
Just from watching one show, you get the feeling from the team behind “Of the Wire” that they feel like a family. There is so much going on behind the scenes that people don’t see.
It takes hours of preparation the day before the show to build something up, and the dedication, passion and collaboration among these people really make for an exciting and fresh watch.
Johnny Mustion, the executive producer, said that to prepare for Off The Wire the team has to meet at least three times a week to work on joke writing and rehearsals, among other things.
Mustion says that it’s so worth it because they’re very proud of the end product and always want to improve and listen to the community. “It’s television”.
When it’s time to focus and work, this team will make every trial run and do everything in their power so that the audience has a great show. Some members of the team even come in at around 2 p.m. to get ready for the 8:30 p.m. show.
They have live shows every other Thursday at the School of Communication in Studio C.
Their March 19, show felt like a full-scale late-night production television show, even with a great live music performance by Dreamscape, a band of University of Miami students that plays alternative pop rock music.
It is a very electric, welcoming environment. While speaking with the host of the late-night show, Wrigley Kordt, he shared his excitement with the interaction with the audience, saying you can feed off the energy of the audience, and that comedy can come from anywhere.
“Off the Wire” is a passionate student-led comedy show that delivers nonstop laughs thanks to its nonstop crew.
Make sure to check out past episodes of “Off the Wire” on their YouTube channel and go see them live every other Thursday in Studio C at the School of Communication.
High school backyard matches were just the beginning for one UM student, who turned his love for wrestling into a career while pursuing college classes.
Long before stepping into a professional ring, Angel Santiago’s journey began in high school with a homemade wrestling organization he created with his friends. It was here that he officially created his ring name, “The Puerto Rican Prince.”
“Starting out in the BWO [Backyard Wrestling Organization] helped me to really get my foot in the door, and it is what set me on the path to bigger matches and experiences,” Santiago said.
The BWO started as a passion project but quickly gained traction as they landed on Fox News. It was more than just a hobby, but rather an early step toward the career he ultimately wanted to pursue.
This passion followed him to Miami, as he began formally training under wrestler Doc Holiday during his sophomore year, someone who not only helped shape his technical skills, but also his mindset.
Under Holiday’s guidance, he learned that success in wrestling isn’t just about performance, but about perception, and understanding how others see you in the industry.
“Doc taught me that perception shapes everything. People treat you based on how they see you, not always what’s real,” Angel said.“He pushed me to break those perceptions, understand where people are coming from, and be aware of who doesn’t have my best interests in mind”
At the same time, he was very involved on campus. He served as executive producer for UMTV’S comedy show “Off the Wire” and held multiple leadership positions in the University’s professional film fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, becoming vice president in his senior year.
Balancing those responsibilities with wrestling required constant effort and sacrifice. Without established connections in Florida, he had to build his name from the ground up.
He traveled for training and relied on friends for rides to shows, staying consistent even when opportunities were limited.
“I just kept showing up and trusting that my work would pay off, even when things felt uncertain,” Angel said.
After about six months of persistence, things began to shift. His first major break came during his junior year at the Space Coast State Fair. Initially scheduled to only open the show, he was unexpectedly given the chance to fight in the main event after another wrestler dropped out. He delivered an impressive performance, giving his career the push in the right direction.
Since then, he has continued to build momentum, even appearing at the same event as well-known wrestlers like Kurt Angle and Kevin Nash.
More recently, in February, he experienced one of the most meaningful moments of his career in Milford, Connecticut, where he defeated a current WWE wrestler, Aaron Rourke, in front of a crowd of over 400 people.
The match was especially significant because it brought together people from every stage of his life, family, friends from high school and even a close friend who served as his manager for the night.
“Winning that match felt surreal, especially knowing how much it meant not just for me, but for everything it represented,” Santiago said.
The event raised money for the Boys and Girls Club of Milford, something he said made the experience even more meaningful, as he is grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that has always supported him.
Despite these milestones, the path has not been easy. For newcomers without established connections, the wrestling world can be cliquey and elitist. Breaking into those circles required not only talent, but resilience.
Through it all, Holiday’s mentorship remained central. Teaching him how to stay grounded, protect himself in the ring, and maintain a positive outlook regardless of wins or losses.
“He showed me how to stay focused and hold the right mindset, no matter what happens in the ring.”
Equally important was the support system he found at UM. He credits Delta Kappa Alpha in particular for encouraging him to keep going, even when his path didn’t fit the traditional mold. That support made it possible for him to continue pursuing something that many people didn’t initially understand.
Beyond the ring, wrestling has shaped how he approaches life. It has reinforced the idea that persistence leads to progress, that if you commit to something and continue showing up, results will follow.
It has also shown him the importance of community, both in receiving support and giving it back. Looking ahead, he hopes to not only face bigger names in wrestling, but also create opportunities for others who may have the talent but lack the exposure.
“I’ve been in that position before, so now I want to give opportunities to people who have the talent but just need a chance, especially those who are willing to really work for it.”
For students considering unconventional paths, his advice is simple: don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
“Art only means something if people can see and react to it,” Santiago said. “You can’t be afraid of judgment, people will always have something to say. You just have to push through the uncomfortable.”
From backyard wrestling to main event matches, his journey shows that success isn’t always linear. Persistence and consistency can take you far, and The Puerto Rican Prince is a clear example of that.
V’s Take, formerly Dear V, is The Miami Hurricane’s most controversial and longest-running column. Known for its anonymity and sharp satire, V tackles everything from love and sex to campus gossip.
Over the years, V has taken many forms, with a different secret V shaping the voice of each era.
Not written for the “politically correct or easily offended,” V has spent decades talking about topics that people might be scared or uncomfortable to discuss face-to-face.
Always appearing as the final piece in the newspaper, V’s take on life brings together the news, sports, opinion and arts and entertainment, serving as a closing note for each edition.
“A reader can pick up a paper wondering what the V’s Take article is going to be this time, and hopefully read an article or two as they navigate through the pages to find it,” said Salvatore Puma, a former V writer.
Puma drew inspiration for articles from his own experiences as an openly gay male, as well as stories from friends and email submissions from readers.
“I’d tell myself it gave me an opportunity to have the topic be as timely as possible, but really it’s because my best ideas come under desperation,” said Puma. “The sleep deprivation added a nice flavor to the text.”
One of Puma’s columns was even taken down online. The piece, described by Puma as “basically a beginners guide to Gaydar,” satirized perceptions about masculinity.
“It poked fun at the idea of the performative male and how we sometimes perceive a guy who is up to date on trends and takes care of himself as some sort of queer, because what straight man would do that?”
Despite criticism over language and stereotypes, Puma said he understood why some readers took issue with the column. Still, he believed the backlash missed the larger picture.
“In the path for queer rights and equality I think there is bigger fish to fry than a satirical article about thinking a man in jorts and sambas is a little gay,” Puma said.
V dates back further and is embedded not only with history but also with personal connections between V writers, such as the friendship between Alexandra Vasquez Sarrine and Jamie Ostroff.
Sarrine, a journalism major who graduated in 2008, inherited “Dear V” from her sorority sister.
“Naturally, my personal experience is my primary resource when it comes to giving personal advice,” said Sarrine. “People would submit questions via email and I would pick the question I thought would result in the most interesting column. I would think about it, maybe discuss it with a few close friends or my then-boyfriend (now husband), then draft a response.”
In the February 7-10, 2008, edition of The Hurricane, Sarrine wrote a column that caused a storm on campus. Responding to a sexually explicit and graphic question, she knew the topic was sensitive but did not anticipate the reaction.
“Some people were pretty shocked to see something so graphic printed in our newspaper, and it definitely created a buzz on campus,” Sarrine said.
“Shortly after its publishing, the School of Communication hosted a townhall-type panel to discuss this particular Dear V column in relation to the limits of free speech.”
“What a teaching moment [it was] and at least we all (most of us) had a laugh,” said Sarrine.
As Sarrine’s time at Miami came to an end, she passed the role to her close friend, Jamie Ostroff, in 2009. Though Ostroff only wrote as V for a year, she made the most of the experience.
“I remember sitting in my classes and listening to people giggle behind me over something they had no idea I’d written. It was the literal best,” said Ostroff.
Since its beginning, V has always embraced bold topics and openness. It is a persona that connects with readers without bias or judgement.
“First of all, V goes there,” said Ostroff. “As long as V answers those questions with an open mind, no judgment and maybe a little sense of humor, the column will always have a place.”
From answering questions about “biggest turn offs” to addressing unsafe relationships and body image, Ostroff said she proudly represented V with authenticity.
At graduation, she even wrote “I’m Dear V” on her cap and showed it to President Donna Shalala as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma.
The graduation cap Jaime Ostroff showed to President Donna Shalala as she walked across the graduation stage.
The current V, who remains anonymous, draws from both personal and past experiences to shape their version of V’s voice. They emphasize the column’s importance in giving students a platform to express their thoughts.
“My goal this year as V was to be fun, sassy and opinionated,” said the current V. “[V] is saying what everyone else is thinking or what the student body really wants to hear.”
Like past writers, the current V draws information from personal experience, friends’ relationships and readers’ submissions. They said anonymity plays a key role in the column’s success.
“[With] sensitive and controversial topics it’s important to protect the writer’s identity,” said V. “It makes things more fun to read a gossip column when you don’t know who’s writing it.”
Through anonymity, V creates a space where thoughts, questions, and opinions can be expressed without fear of judgement. V is a collective identity shaped by generations of writers and students, each bringing in their own experiences and perspectives.
As Ostroff captures, “V is you! You are V!” — a reminder that V is not just a columnist, but a reflection of the entire UM community.
UM alumni and comedian Gianmarco Soresi built a career on crowd work even though he hates talking to strangers. Now, he has more than 1 million strangers following him on Instagram and watching his viral sets.
The 37‑year‑old comedian, who graduated from the University of Miami in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater, now tours internationally and performs for audiences from Hong Kong to Fort Lauderdale.
“I really thought I was going to be on Broadway. That was the whole dream,” he said.
Soresi didn’t arrive at UM planning to become a comedian. He came in convinced he would end up on Broadway, only to realize by senior year that his singing voice wasn’t going to carry him there.
He shifted toward acting, then toward writing, as he slowly realized the future he imagined might not be the one waiting for him.
By the time he graduated, he had become a quieter, more self‑doubting version of the freshman who once believed he’d be the next Daniel Day‑Lewis.
“I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t quick. I wasn’t the guy anyone thought would do comedy,” he said.
The instinct to listen closely, react instantly and squeeze meaning out of every detail eventually became the backbone of his crowd work.
Soresi credits several UM professors for pushing him in the right direction, especially those who taught him how to write.
“I kind of look at my stand‑up from a scriptwriting perspective, and that came from a great teacher named Bruce Miller,” Soresi said.
His playwriting and script analysis classes — including one taught by Miller, aka Professor Emeritus, a longtime UM professor of theatre arts known for directing, playwriting and teaching acting — shaped the way he builds jokes today.
Miller, now retired, said he “of course” remembers Soresi and was surprised that script‑analysis classes, not the two years of acting training he taught him, were what stuck with him most.
The class taught Soresi to break down structure and analyze why something works, a skill he still relies on every time he sits down to create new material.
His classmates also helped shape him, whether they challenged him, annoyed him or simply tolerated him.
Even the conservatory’s strangest exercises like lip‑sync drills, clowning sessions and the infamous “gun exercise” forced Soresi out of his comfort zone in ways he didn’t appreciate until much later.
However, Miller clarified that he was not the one who ran this “gun exercise” Soresi mentioned, and that it was another professor in the same program who was also named Bruce.
“That exercise consisted of holding the class hostage when one person brought out a realistic looking prop gun to intimidate the others,” Miller said, adding that he “did not approve of [it] and today [it] would have triggered much complaint and protest, and maybe worse.”
Soresi also joked that if UM ever wanted to hire him, he’d be “ready for that gig,” a line delivered with equal parts affection and disbelief.
Since graduating, his career has been shaped by constant travel. International tours have taken him to Asia, Europe and Australia, where he has learned how differently jokes land depending on the country.
Not every crowd‑work moment has been pleasant. His worst gig — a bachelor‑party performance for a man entering his second marriage — still haunts him.
“It was one of those shows where you’re like, ‘Oh, this is going to be bad,’ and then it’s even worse than you imagined,” Soresi said
The groom didn’t want him there, didn’t want jokes about his weight and didn’t want jokes about his life. Soresi spent 30 minutes performing for someone who clearly wanted him to disappear.
The experience now serves as his baseline for discomfort. Nothing on tour ever feels that bad by comparison.
His most wholesome moment came on the opposite end of the spectrum. During a show, he struck up a conversation with a furry in the audience. The interaction was so unexpectedly sweet that it eventually led to him headlining a furry festival.
“I thought it was a joke at first, but they were dead serious,” Soresi said.
Soresi still talks about it fondly, mostly because it proved that trust and tone can turn even the strangest situations into something meaningful.
“If you treat people with respect, even the weirdest moments can turn into something great,” Soresi said.
Through all of this, he remains clear about what he wants audiences to take away from his performances. Laughter comes first, but he also hopes people leave with a sense of skepticism and curiosity.
His comedy, he says, is rooted in the idea that “everyone’s full of sh—t,” including himself. Humor becomes a way to examine that truth without slipping into cynicism.
From a musical theater major who doubted his voice to a comedian who built a career on conversations he never wanted to have, Gianmarco Soresi’s path has been shaped by contradictions, risks and the unexpected benefits of his UM education.
His journey wasn’t the one he planned, but it became one defined by reinvention and a confidence built slowly, sometimes painfully and always with a sense of humor.
TikTok is essentially the new Google. With Gen Z’s love for the 15-second visuals, paired with the hyperspecific algorithms, TikTok’s search results are better than those of Google.
The shift from Google to TikTok is beneficial because it delivers more accessible, visual and user-driven information that better matches how younger generations consume content.
The internet’s growing reliance on AI has led to a decline in Google’s once-trusted reliability. Google recently changed its algorithm to have AI-generated results at the top of the page, instead of its previous method of showing an excerpt of the most relevant source.
The shift toward TikTok reflects a rebellion against this change — a preference for human-driven, experience-based content over AI-generated answers.
“I hate to admit it, but since I am on TikTok so constantly, I find out most of my news from there,” UM freshman Shannon Brickley said. “Whenever I want to know more, I will search it up and doomscroll.”
This is more popular among students than people think. In an interview with Fortune Magazine, Senior Vice President of Google Prabhakar Raghavan emphasized that TikTok is taking over in little ways, such as finding a place to go for lunch. According to their studies, 40% of young people go straight to TikTok or Instagram instead of a regular search engine like Google.
When looking for restaurants on Google, results are largely sponsored or have a massive number of reviews from being around for so long. As a result, these older places are bumped to the top of the search regardless of the quality of the food.
Even the UM student go-to coffee or matcha classic, Honey Veil, is being underserved on Google. While it doesn’t come up on the first page of any search engine for coffee shops around UM, it is one of the first coffee shops when searched on TikTok.
The difference isn’t just in the quality of the suggestion, but also the quality of the way information is communicated. TikToks are short-form videos, allowing for visuals, paired with information that takes little to no work to consume. Attention spans have been vastly shortened by the internet, so TikTok’s entertaining approach to information is more aligned with how information is naturally consumed now.
TikTok’s personable, young and entertaining approach is beginning to give Google competition for the best search bar. Google is not being erased, but as people evolve their habits and Google declines in its content. Its dominance is fading, leaving TikTok to be the future of search.
An opossum and its baby fell through the ceiling of Whitten LC 170 during a psychology class around 9 a.m. this morning.
A student who was in the classroom and wishes to remain unnamed said that students had been hearing “sounds of an animal running around in the ceiling” throughout the class.
“A UM facilities employee had been called to the room when the students had first complained about the noise, but [he got] there at 8:58. He did not want to distract the class, [so he] left until our class usually would be over,” she said. “However, the [o]possums fell around two minutes later.”
The opossums fell through the ceiling near the front of the classroom and landed next to the professor, Dr. Melissa Noya, while she was teaching her 8 a.m. PSY110 course.
Video of the opossum in the corner of Whitten LC 170 on the morning of Tuesday, March 31 after it fell through the ceiling. // Video via a student who wishes to remain unnamed.
The unnamed student said that she heard a “series of clanging” right before the opossums fell. Students gasped and some tried to climb onto the desks to avoid the opossums, but Dr. Noya instructed everyone to leave the room. As the student was leaving, she said the larger opossum appeared unconscious.
After a few minutes of standing outside, the student said that everyone returned to the classroom to get their belongings because the older opossum was “staring at everyone in the corner and seemed frightened, while its baby was walking around observing everyone.” She said that neither animal was hissing.
Prior to the opossums falling through the ceiling, the student said it appeared in good condition. Now, three panels are missing from the ceiling and there is debris on the floor.
The three panels and debris on the floor after opossums fell through the ceiling of Whitten LC 170 on the morning of Tuesday, March 31. // Photo credit: Katie Karlson.
“The safety of the campus community is our top priority. University Facilities and Operations staff responded immediately to the Whitten classroom and the two opossums were removed humanely,” said the University of Miami in a statement to The Hurricane. “The animals did not come in contact with those in the classroom and the room and ceiling were secured.”
The ceiling in Whitten 170 is designed so that the back of the classroom has paneling, the middle is solid, and the front of the classroom near the professor has a paneled ceiling that is lower than the rest of the classroom. The student suspects that the opossums ran from the back of the classroom to the front and fell onto the panels that are lower, causing them to fall through.
The staggered heights of the ceiling near the front of the Whitten LC 170 classroom on Tuesday, March 31. // Photo credit: Katie Karlson.
“It made me wonder about the state of our infrastructure, especially when it comes to older buildings like Whitten LC,” said the unnamed student. “I had an exam later in the day in Whitten and I think I was more nervous about this [incident] repeating than the exam.”
Although the student originally identified the animals as “possums,” the University confirmed that the animals are actually opossums, marsupials with gray fur that are native to the Americas.
Opossums make their homes in roofs when they are forced out of their normal territory, usually during the mating season. Once they find a safe spot, they are notoriously hard to remove.
The Hurricane reached out to Dr. Noya for a comment and has not yet received a response.
The 98th Oscars dressed for a cultural moment — not just a ceremony.
Every year, the Academy Awards outfits become a mirror to cinema’s biggest night and culture itself. At the 98th Oscars, held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, that reflection had one clear mood: romanticism.
As The Zoe Report noted, “silks and satins, soft color hues, and ladylike accents like lace, delicate floral prints, and bows” had already taken hold of fashion heading into 2026. The Oscars red carpet followed suit.
Emma Stone, in custom Louis Vuitton by stylist Petra Flannery, wore a cascade of pearlescent beads — which, according to WWD, required over 600 hours of handwork to complete. A princess-cut top, cap sleeves and a plunging sexy back that turned the romantic silhouette on its head.
The color, cut, and hair: all of it was exact. The public agreed — her stylist loves her, and it shows.
Odessa A’zion, the Marty Supreme star, stated that she doesn’t have a stylist, she does her own hair and make up. And she still manages to be one of the most relevant looks on the carpet.
A crystal-encrusted couture robe over bootcut pants, a thin black tie, fringe at the hem. Chic, boho rock, completely her own.
Beca Michie arrived in a vintage 2005 Georges Chakra couture gown with embroidered lace, fluid silk skirt, trailing hem. She looked phenomenal.
But her presence sparked a conversation that had nothing to do with her dress. Her appearance on the carpet renewed debate about social media influencers getting access to Hollywood’s most exclusive spaces.
Turns out, there is a growing trend in democratizing Hollywood and fashion worlds, and mixing them both.
Laura Lufesi attracted anything but bad reviews — many comparing her to a pineapple. The culprit: a color palette that worked against her complexion rather than with it.
In a year when colorimeter was the secret weapon of the night’s best looks, getting it wrong was costly.
Renate Reinsve wore a strapless red Louis Vuitton gown with an exaggerated side slit. The construction was strong, but the overall effect was not.
Red already demands full attention, and the high slit reads as excess rather than intention based on public opinions. The absence of jewelry made it worse, stripping the look of the polish of a classic red dress.
Gweyneth Paltrow showed up in a custom ivory Armani Prive gown that was polished from the front and fully transparent from the side. She was sewn into it and said she felt hot.
Although mostly loved, reviews said that the dress was inappropriate and not flattering for her age.
A woman in her fifties declaring herself hot in pronounced dresses — as we saw with Kate Moss in Gucci — still provokes discomfort.
Michael B. Jordan, now a Best Actor winner for “Sinners”, arrived in a custom all-black Louis Vuitton suit with a Mandarin collar, silver waist chain, and a David Yurman diamond brooch — but this wasn’t accidental.
According to Essence, costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed that his character Stack’s watch chain was “custom-made by David Yurman using one of their vintage links.” Jordan wore the same jeweler on the carpet.
Timothee Chalament arrived in a white custom suit – clean, tailored, all-white from head to toe. The intention was clear: understated elegance with a modern edge
One has to wonder if the color was strategic — after weeks of online backlash over his comments about ballet and opera being irrelevant, white reads like a blank slate. Innocent, even.
Perhaps that is why romanticism resonates so deeply right now. Feathers, satin, and lace are not escapism — they are a response. When the political moment demands restraint and conformity, fashion reaches for softness, volume, and feeling.
